Everything on schedule for ski season at Eaglecrest

Season passes are on sale, the trails have been cleared and the work on a new learning center at the Eaglecrest ski area is on schedule. Ski season has almost arrived.

The Eaglecrest Board of Directors met Thursday to discuss progress on summer projects and details about the winter schedule, and to name its leaders for the next year.

Two water-related projects were not finished during the summer off-season, but the area should be ready for skiers for opening day on December 7, Eaglecrest Manager Matt Lillard told the board.

Lillard also showcased one of 66 new signs that will be used to mark trails in the area, and discussed a reduced-price season pass for full-time college students from any college or university.

He added that expenditures as of August 25 of this year were at $151,000 which is about 2 percent lower than they were last year.

The biggest factors in that figure are the payroll numbers, which are “in line with where they should be,” Lillard said.

A significant amount was saved on a bulk fuel order, he added.

The annual ski swap sale will happen on Saturday, November 2, and the Discover Eaglecrest Day will be Saturday, September 21. The repair shop is slated to be operational by October 15.

The new learning center is still in the design phase, but a final design is expected to be presented to the board at its meeting next month. The goal is to have the center operational before the 2014-2015 ski season.